Individual signaling apparatus for telephones



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1;. A J. H. CARY.

INDIVIDUAL $IGNALING APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONES. No; 281,450.

Patented July 1'7, 1883.

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J.H.OARY. INDIVIDUAL SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONE$. No. 281,450.Patented Ju1y17, 18831.

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UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. GARY, OF BOSTON, 'MASSAOHUSETTSL INDIVIDUAL SIGNALING APPARATUSFOR TELEPHONES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,450, dated July 17,1883.

Application filed March 12, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. CARY, of Ros-- ton, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have, invented certain Improvementsin Individual Signaling Apparatus for Telephones, of which the followingis a speci 1882, No. 265,753, Ihave described an individual signalingapparatus, in which, at each substation, an electro-magnet provided witha neutral armature is arranged to rotate a ratchet with a step-by-stepmovement by means of successive electrical pulsations of definitedirection, which are transmitted over the line from the central station.Each of these ratchets is combined with a circuit-breakingdevice, which,at a definite point in the rotation of the ratchet, differing for eachstation, is brought into action and actuated to introduce into themain-line circuit a call-bell magnet, which, when so introduced, may berung by rapidly alternating currents transmitted from the centralstation.

My present invention is an improv ement on the foregoing patent; and itconsists in combining with a series of sub-stations signalingmovement.

The method of producing the signal in the bells of the second seriesdiffers materially from that of producing a signal in those of thefirst, and therefore by combining both series in one system I am enabledto connect a greatlyincreased number of sub-stations in circuit on asingle line without impairing the individuali'ty of any of them, foralthough two bells-one adapted to operate as hereinafter described.v

Fig. 2 represents a part of the apparatus having certain differences indetails of construction. Fig. 3 represents a diagrammatic view, showinga polarized bell.

I have deemed it sufficient to show but one apparatus of each class, itbeing perfectly obvious that the number of each class that can besuccessfully operated on one circuit depends solely upon the number ofteeth in the ratchets. Moreover, I have not herein shown or describedany central-station transmitting or controlling apparatus, since Ipurpose to use the devices which I have described in a prior applicationfiled October 23, 1882, No. 74,944, which consists of suitablereversing-keys, combined with a magneto-generator and adapted totransmit at will constant electrical currents of either direction, orconstantly-alternating currents, according to the key pressed. In thedrawings, 1 represents a sub-station fitted with apparatus adapted toclose a local circuit through the electro-magnet of a callbell, and givea signal after a definite number of pulsations, provided thecontrolling-current continues to flow in the main-line circuit;

.and 2 represents a sub-station provided with apparatus adapted tointroduce into the main circuit a polarized bell, arranged andconstructed to ring when a succession of con stantly-alternatingcurrents are sent to line.

I will first describe the mechanism of the apparatuses, and then tracethe electrical cir cuits and connections thereof.

The apparatus at station 1 consists of a disk, I), having at one pointof its periphery a stud or cam, c, and mounted, together with aratchct-wheel, d, on an arbor, a, which also carries on its front end apointer, 1), adapted to retate therewith, and by its position withreference to the face of a dial, 6, indicate the condition of the line.The ratchet-wheel d is, by a suitable non-conducting bushing, z,insulated from the arbor a, and is adapted to be rotated by thesuccessive reciprocating motions of the pallet 0 on the end of the levery, this being attached to the armature g, which is pivoted in thesupport or bearings n.

An electro-magnet, h, when energized by passing currents, attracts thearmature, which, when unattracted, is withdrawn from the said electro-magnet by the retractile spring on. Vhen the armature is attracted, thepallet 0 of the lever y slides backward over the teeth of the ratchet d,and when the attraction ceases and the armature is retracted by thespring m the pallet 0 engages the ratchet-teeth, forcing the ratchet,its arbor, and the disk I) one step forward, and these to and fromotions are re peated as often as the magnet is charged and discharged.

Immediately in the rear of the lever 3 is a spring or othercontact-plate, I), supported in any suitable way, while on a block ofnon-conducting material, k, the other springs are supported, one ofthem, 1', being arranged to press upon the arbor a, as shown, thussubserving the double purpose of making an electrical connectiontherewith, and of serving asa friction or retaining brake whereby thearbor and ratchet are maintained in position during the retraction ofthe pallet 0 for a second stroke. The other spring, j, is, at its freeend, normally out of contact with any part of the apparatus, but isadapted to come into contact with the stud or cam a when by the rotationof the arbor the stud is brought within the range of the said free endof the spring.

A is a signal-bell, and B a local battery. The three springs 15, i, andj, together with the. armature-lever y and the bell A, are all in thecircuit of the local battery when the same is completed, and the saidcircuit may be traced as follows: from one pole of the battery B by wire8 to bearing a, and to lever y, and from the other pole of the batterytothe bell A and by wire 9 to the spring j. From the spring 15, whichforms the back contact with the lever y, a wire, 10, is led to thespring 2'. The 10- cal circuit, it will be seen, is normally incomplete,being open at the free end of the spring j, and also at the free end ofthe spring t.

Vhen, by successive impulses, the arbor is rotated until the stud c isbrought into contact with the spring 7', the bell may be rung by causingthe armature g to be steadily attracted to its magnet, and thus closingthe local circuit at its second open point at the spring t. Since theposition of the cam 0 upon the disk D differs from the several stationsprovided with this class of apparatus, it is clear that no two bells ofthis class can be rung at once.

To prevent asingle stroke of any bell, which may occur while the stud cof its apparatus is passing the spring j, this bell is so adjusted thatit will not'strike under the brief impulse that may be given while thestud and spring are in contact while passing one another in a bellnearer the central station than the one which it is desired to ring, butwill require the cumulative action due to a longer closure of thecircuit before its vibrations acquire sufficient amplitude to enable thehammer to reach the bell.

The apparatus of the second class, as shown in substation 2 in thedrawings, is of the general construction described in my former patent,which I have hereinbcfore cited, and consists in certaininstrumentalities arranged in the following manner:

As in the apparatus shown at sub-station 1, an arbor, a, carries a disk,I), a ratchet-wheel, (Z, and a pointer, 12, the latter being adapted tomove coincidentally with the motion of the arbor over the face of thedial 0, and thus indieate by any prearranged code the condition of theline-circuit. In this apparatus a notch, 0, takes the place of the studc in the apparatus of station 1, and it is furthermore not necessary toinsulate the ratchet-wheel d from arbor a.

An electro-magnet, h, furnished with an armature, g, supported on pivotsin the bearings n, operates by means of a suitable lever and pallet theratchet, and rotates the arbor with the same step-by-step motionhereinbefore described, when successive electrical impulses aretransmitted over the line-circuit.

Two contact-springs, z and j, are mounted ,upon a block, 70, ofnon-conducting material,

and are both normally in contact at their free ends with the mechanism,the spring j normally resting upon and in contact with the periphery ofthe disk I), and the springz' resting at all times in frictional contactwith the arbor a. The main-line circuit, after passing through theelectro-magnet helices h, continues by wire 1 to the point 12, where itbifurcates, one path leading by wire 2, spring 2', arbor a, disk I), andnormally by spring j to the point 14, and thence to line out, 7 whilethe other path may be traced from the point 12, through the polarizedbell G, and thence by wire 3 to the point 14, where the two pathsreunite and pass outward to the earth or to the next station. Inasmuchas the path which includes the bell C is of much higher resistance thanthe other, the said bell is practically short-circuited as long as thespring j bears upon the disk I); but when, in the rotation of the saiddisk, the notch 0 passes under the end of the spring j, the shortcircuit is broken. and the only path for the line-current is through thebell O, and if at this point the motion of the arbor and disk is stayedand a series of alternating currents sent the neutral armature g of thecontrolling-magnet will not respond thereto, by reason of theretracting-spring m; but the polarized bell C will be rung. The

frictional contact spring 2, which presses against the shaft or arbor a,in addition to forminga part of 'thelocal circuit, serves the purpose ofa brake," and counteracts any tend ency to lost motion 011 the part ofthe said shaft.

Instead of the notch c, 'a small piece of nonconducting material may belet into the edge of the disk I) in a manner well understo'od;

In practice, instead of a rigid'pallet, 0, on the end of thearmature-lever, it willbe' found convenient to use jointed or pivotedpawls suitably attached to said lever.

Fig. 3 is another form of apparatus at station 1, wherein the impulsegiven to theratchet'- wheel (2 is produced by the attraction instead ofthe retraction of the armature. An electromagnet, 'h, in the circuit ofthe main line is provided with an armature, 9, supported in the pivotsn. When the armatureis attracted by means of its lever y andpawl-extension f the ratchet-wheel is caused to advance, carrying withit the disk 'b and stud c, which,'to-- gethcr with the ratchet, arefastened to the arbor a. t is a local-circuit contact-point. As in theNo. 1 bell, Kis an insulating-block supporting two springs, j and z. Ais a call-bell, and B a local battery. When the ratchet is by successivepulsations rotated until the stud 0 will on the next pulsation makecontact with the spring j, the next pulsation is continued for sometime, causing the lever y to come in contact with the spring t at thesame time that the other spring, j, makes contact with the stud c, andmaintaining both contacts as long asthe bell is desired to ring. In thiscase it is not necessary to insulate the ratchet.

It will be of course understood that although I have shown but one bellof eachof the two classes described, the purpose of my invention is toconnect a number of both kinds 011 the same circuit, and they may bearranged in any preferred order. For example, six of the-class as shownas placed in substation 1 may be placed consecutively, and be succeededby six of those described as connectedin station 2, or they may bearranged alternately from one end of the circuit to the other; but,although one of the first series may have its ringingpoint identicalwith one of the second, the two cannot ringat once, because one of thetwo rings only by the application of constantly alternating currents,whilethe other rings only by the application of a steady, constant, and

. unbroken current in the main line.

that it comprises two sets of signal-bells capable of being operateddifferently on the same circuit, and that the object of the doubly-openlocal circuit in one set is to maintain the bells of that set quiescentwhen the corresponding bell of the other set is tobe rung, thecorresponding bells of, the two sets being at the same time at'theringing-point;

Having. now described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a mainline, a series of sub-stationslocated thereon, signaling apparatusatione or more of the said sub-stations, consisting of a bell in a localcircuit normally open at two points, a circuit-closer actuated by anelectro-magn'et included in the main-line circuit to close the localcircuit at one of the said open points after a definite number ofelectrical pulsations have been transmitted over the main line, andasecond circuit-closer adapted to close the second open point and givethe signal when a constant current is transmitted over the main lineimmediately after the said definite number of intermittent pulsations,and signaling apparatus of different character at the remainingsub-stations, con sisting of a signaling-bell adapted to ring only whenrapidly-alternating currents are transmitted, a short circuit normallysurrounding the said bell, a circuit-breaker, and actuating devicestherefor adapted to be operated by an electro-magnet included in themain-line circuit, and to open the short circuit and introduce thesignaling-bell in the main line after the transmission of a definitenumber of elec trical impulses, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

2. The combination, substantially as herein before described, in anelectric signaling-circuit, of a series of polarizedsignaling-bells,each normally short-circuited from the main line, and devices, asindicated, adapted to break the short circuit and introduce the saidbells into the main line after a predetermined number of electricalpulsations, the said number differing from each bell of the series, witha series of vibrating or trembling bells, each in a localcircuit'normally open at two points, devices adapted, after a definitenumber of electrical pulsations differing foreach bell of the series, toclose the said local circuit at one of the normally-open points, andother devices adapted, when a constant current is trans mitted over themain line, to close the local cir cuit at the second of thenormally-open points, whereby two series of individual signalingapparatus may be operated on a single line, and. the number ofsub-stations greatly increased.

3. The combination, in an individual signaling-instrument, of anelectro-magnet in a mainline circuit, an armature, armature-lever, andpawl therefor, a ratchet wheel and shaft adapted to be engaged .by thepawl and rotated by means of successive electrical impulses transmittedthrough the electro-mag net, a local circuit normally. open at twopoints, an electric bell included therein, a circuit-closer consistingof a disk fixed on the ratchetwheel shaft and carrying a projecting camand a contact-spring, the said cam being adapted to come into contactwith the said spring after a definite number of pulsations,

and close the local circuit at one of its nor- IntestinionywhereofIhavesigned my name mally-open points, asecond oireuit-eloser, conto thisspecification in the presence of two subsisting of a terminal spring anda contactscribing witnesses, t11is9th dayof March, 1883. point on thearmature-lever, and a contact- 5 spring bearing upon the ratchet-wheelshaft JAMES H. CARY.

and adapted to form a part of the local circuit, and also to bearfrietionally upon the said \Vitnesses: shaft and prevent any lost motionthereof, 0. F. BROWN, all substantially as and for the purposes de- A.L. \VHITE.

1o scribed.

